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Dispatches from Georgetown - Tuesday

One of the things about coming back that I like and loathe equally is the GO Train. In Ottawa, my commute is fifteen minutes. On foot. I typically roll out of bed around five after eight, and I make it to work by nine. In Georgetown, I have to be up a six thirty to pull off the same start time. The train ride is an hour, but if you tack on the drive to and from the train, the walk between the train and work, and the five to ten minute buffer time I typically have by getting to the train early, my daily commute totaled three hours. And I don’t think I ever realized how nuts that was until Sarah started taking the train with me.

The upside is that I read. It was two hours a day I dedicated to reading, and back in the day I burned through small libraries on the train (whereas now, Animal Farm is a two month slog). I miss reading, and there’s no reason I can’t read these days; I guess it’s just that my attention span is shrinking. If I have an out from reading, I’ll take it, but if my only two choices are reading something or staring at the dude in front of me, hook me up with a book. Anything. I don’t even have to like it.

Speaking of folks on the train, I love that I’ve been away for five months, that I haven’t taken the train in even longer, and yet I still see the same people. There is a group of sad-sack divorcees I used to see every day, who would share soul-deadening stories about their imploding relationships. “I brought the kids to Wonderland this weekend, and when I got back I found that my husband had moved out all of our appliances.” “I know what you mean: my ex-wife stopped by my parents’ place the other night, rang the doorbell, and kicked my dad in the groin. That’s it! She went by with the sole purpose of giving my dad a jimmy kick.” I haven’t seen the entire group yet, but a few of them are still around. I’m also waiting to see the Gamers, although no luck so far. The Gamers are a group of thirty year-old guys who talk video games the entire trip. Don’t get me wrong: I’m a moderate gamer. And I have friends who are fairly hardcore about it; but the folks I know have other facets to their personalities, and other interests. For these guys: it’s just games. Actually, let me amend that: they talk about games, and about how their wives are all pissed off because they’re obsessed with gaming. My favourite is when they talk about their long term plans. “Over Christmas, I figure I can put in around ten hours a day, then it’s back to normal after that, but by March my necromancer should be level fifty. That’s gonna be so, so wicked.”

In other news: my brother gave me a Touch You Last freebie last night. “Don’t worry,” he said, “You can win for now. You’re here all week and I know where you sleep.” Fucker. Getting a freebie is worse than playing legitimately and losing. Oh, you’ll pay, Barry. See item 47 in my 101 in 1001 list.

Comments

Beth said…
Speaking of your 101 list, you can cross #101 off now!
Anonymous said…
I have never had the pleasure (and I use that term loosely) of riding public transportation, but I would love any extra reading time I could squeeze out. Right now, between work, Braeden, and school, I'm lucky if I have time to read the wash instructions on the back of my shirts.

You get to see your lover tomorrow! Yay!
Anonymous said…
COURTNEY ===> Reading on public transit is about the only thing that makes it tolerable. I'm cramming in three monthly magazines and books in between'em these days, the vast bulk of which are read to and from work. Of course, even being focused on a magazine on the bus this evening didn't help to block out the reek of the guy's feet who'd opted to pop them out of his shoes for a nice airing out a couple of seats behind me.
This little piggy went to market? Hell no. If the smell's any indicator, this little piggy died about a month ago.

As for mention of Dave's lover, he's seeing Jorge, me, and apparently a couple'dozen other people tomorrow.
So if you please, that would be lovers.
Thanks.
Anonymous said…
I think you just wanted to have a post that you would write around using kicked in the jimmy somehow.

Well, you did it, boyo.

Tomorrow will be fun.
No clue who these dozens of people are, but considering Tanya was surprised that Reay was coming, the others will be kicked in the jimmy in turn.

The beauty is that you can't block my kicks to the jimmy.

They are that fucking scary.
Chris Vagg said…
The GO trains is awesome...at least that's what I keep telling myself. I love getting up at 5am to get to work at 7:45...I love it. I love commuting beside people who snore, burb, fart, smell. I love it. Why would you not like the GO train!?! ;-)

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Discuss Amongst Yourselves - January 30th, 2006

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